Electrically controlled chess board



y 1954 T. 1.. THACKER 2,679,397

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED CHESS BOARD Filed Dec. 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR THOMAS LINDSAY THACKER AT TOHNEY May 25, 1954 1-. THACKER ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED CHESS BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1951 M u u WHITE SWITCH PANEL SQUARE ij i l I I ELA::N:vLWTCH IN VENTOR THOMAS LINDSAY THAC K E R Patented May 25, 1954 ELEOTRICALLY CONTROLLED CHESS BOARD Thomas Lindsay Thacker, Hope, British Columbia, Canada Application December 1, 1951, Serial No. 259,418 3 Claims.- 273-136) My invention relates to improvements in chessboards.

The objects of the invention are primarily to provide a chess board on the squares of which may be displayed an indication of any or all squares which are under attack from one chessman or another, or which are defended by one or more chessmen, so that any person watching the game may see at a glance the immediate results of each player's move. By making it possible for a young or relatively inexperienced player to see what he must guard against, his understanding of the game improves rapidly, and both players will enjoy a better game by avoiding the effects of hasty ill-considered moves. The device will make it much easier for a beginner to appreciate the complexity of moves by the different chessmen and to learn more quickly than he can possibly do with the present type of board. A still further object of the invention is to illustrate the game being played to any spectators, so that they can grasp clearly the intent of the players as each move is made.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of the invention showing a game of chess in play thereon.

Figure 2 is a fractional detail plan view of the upper left hand corner of the chess board showing squares displaying indicia capable of use in indicating attack or defence by chessmen of one or both players.

Figure 3 is a fractional detail sectional view of the board shown in Figure 1 and taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a mask shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified form of chess board.

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram to the lights of a typical square of the board shown in Figure 5 and a unit of the Black and White switches for controlling said lights.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral l0 indicates generally a chess board divided into sixty-four squares in the usual manner, with one set of squares being white and the alternate squares being black or other suitable colours. In the examples shown the black squares are shown with heavy border lines to identify them from the white.

The board It) according to the preferred method of construction, would be of plastic or other material which may be translucent or opaque to identify the black and 'white squares of the board, and would be mounted upon a casing I? having a base panel 14 and side walls I5. The squares of the board Ill are each provided with coloured transparent prisms IT, or spots, which are substantially flush with the top of the board and project below said board so as to receive an ample amount of lightfrom a lamp 19 which may be of the neon or mercury vapour type. The prisms are preferably coloured to show amber, green and red lights through the board and are successively indicated by X, Y and Z. The letter X indicates an amber light controlled by the player of White; the letter Y indicates a green light controlled by the player of Black, and the letter Z indicates the red light controlled by either or both of the players. The amber spot X is disposed at degree 225 in a clockwise direction starting at the top centre of the square, the green spot Y is at degree 315, and the red spot Z is disposed at degree of the square.

Rotatably mounted in the centre of each square is a circular mask 22 of opaque material having an upstanding rim 23 which is preferably serrated as at 24 so that it can be conveniently engaged by the finger or finger nail to turn it about its fulcrum pin 26. The mask 22 is provided with two openings 2'! and 28, both of which are spaced to register on appropriate manipulation with the spots X and Y and Z respectively, but are spaced degrees apart so that a mask may be turned so as not to expose any of the colour spots X, Y, Z as indicated in Figure 2. For the purpose of clarity, the openings 21 and 28 are not specifically shown in Figure 1, except to display a colour spot exposed thereby.

In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6, the board I0 is divided into squares as previously described and each square is provided with translucent colour spots X, Y, Z as before, each of which are adapted to be illuminated with small electric light bulbs 4!, 42 and 43 disposed in circuits within the casing and extending into two switch panels 45 and 46. Each of the switch.

panels are divided into sixty-four squares 48 to correspond with the squares of the board ill and each square 48 has a normally open switch 50 and a two way switch 5|. The diagram Fig. 6 shows the necessary circuits to control the light bulbs 4|, 42 and 43 for one square only. The switches 50 of the switch panel 45, which is contiguous to the Black side of the board control I the green light spot Y, and the switches 50 of the panel 46 which is contiguous to the White side of the board, control the amber light spot X, and the two way switches of both switch panels control the red light spots Z, so that each player can turn on any of his own series of amber or green spots and both players control any of the red light spots to turn them on or off.

In Figure 1, chessmen as indicated by the conventional symbols of the game, are on the board and include -a-,--black knight which is:on--Q3 taken from white sasidr-of Itheeboardf. other..chessmen';v and positions are white king, QKt., white queen, Q; white bishop, KB; white pawn, QKt.2; white rook, K32; black pawn, QB3; white pawn, KB3; black king, QBA; black queen, QR5; 'blackbishop Q5; and black pawn, lowing each move, identified theesquarescofithee board which had come under attack or becomes: commanded by the said move should White bring a square under attack'hewill"'turnthe" mask 22 on the attacked square to displaythec amber spot X. When Black moves, if he puts the. amber marked square under attack 4300, one oithepleiyers changesthe maskito efiace th'eamber spot and todisplay the red spot-Z, indicatingth'at the square is then underattack from each. side. The. first player, thus warned, watches to determinebyw-hich piecehe isllikely to be attacked, If a playercontemplates movingv awhite piece onto a square having a green spot displayed, ,he will beable to determine quickly which piece he is likely to be attacked by, thereby;causing,h'im to refrain from making the contemplatedmove or to. carefully calculate what possible defence he can setup in case his piece is'taken on the move being made.

It will. be noticed that whilethesquares dormnatedor under attackb'y most of th'epieces are idntified'by an amber, green or redspot, those dominated -by BKtare notidentified. Study of this move will show that there is no place where the black knight may be moved to, which will not putthe black king in check, consequently if thepiece cannot be moved at all .no adjacent squares canbecome under attack bysaid piece.

It Will be obvious that as soon as a player movesapiece, he will change-the identity of fad jacentpieces which .were previously under attack'b'y said piece, as for example if the white pawn on KB3 were moved forward 'one square to rank 4 .(among other changes); the square'or KKtIllwould require: to have its amber spot X" defacedor covered byturning the mask 22to laveno spots in view.

In the-modification shown in Figures 5 ands," when aachessman islmove'd by'White to put "one or more squares-under attack he identifies these ,1 squares by illuminating, the amber light "spots. therein and if Black moves one of his chessmen" to .a'point' where he attacks one ormoreof the squares identified as under attack by White, then instead 1' of Black illuminating the appropriate green spots of saidlsquare orsquares'he operates .one'ormore of the two 'way'switches to." illuminate the redspot and to identify'the" squares "which" are "now under attack from 'both" sides;

A 'similarresult to the'above wouldbeachieved' with the'invention as shown" in "Figures 1; 2 and" QBB. Each player has, m1:

3 by simply turning the masks to expose the red spot Z and to cover both the amber and the green.

Obviously if the board as shown in Figures 1, 5 2 and 3 were not illuminated from below, but

was being used in an adequately lit room, bottom lighting would not be necessary and the spots'X',- Y and-:Z could be'pt'opaque material and b'eeidentifid. by 'colour,iletter or :otherwise and the movement of a mask to expose a spot so that it could be clearly seen or to totally obscure any of the spots, would be equally eifective in indicating- ;that"a' square was or was not under attack: What-:I'claimsas my invention is:

1.;A=:. chess board having alternately spaced black and white, squares, each square having threeseparatezonesya lamp bulb for illuminatingpea'ch'izone, said lamp bulbs of each square being of contrasting color, a switchboard connected ,withuopposite ends .of the board, each switchboard'having a switch controlling the op,- eration .ofone .lamp bulbonly on each square anda second switch" controlling the operation of,

amp bulb on each square.

g alternately spaced asecondll 2'. A' chess boardlhavin black and iwhitesquares, each square having.

three separate .zones, .a lamp bulb for illuminatingea'ch' zone, said lamp bulbs of each square be-f ing offcontrastin opposing players connected with opposite ends' of 'th'eboard','said switchboard of the player playing,.black having a switch controlling the opera,-

tion of'one lamp bulb on each square and a two. a second lamp bulb on way switch controlling each square, said switchboard of the player playingiwhite havingfaswitch controlling the opera tion' of 'athird lamp bulb on each square and'atwo way switch controlling the second lampbulb 40 on each square controlled by the-'play'er'playing black;

three separatezones, a lamp bulb for illuminat- 5 ingeach' zone, said lamp; bulbs ofeach square being'of contrasting color, a switchboard connected with opposite ends'of the board," each switchboard having squares corresponding to the squares .of "the" chess board, each" switchboard v q way switch; eac adapted"tocontrol-one' only of the lamp bulbs on each square and each two way switch'being' adapted to'controla second lamp bulb on each.

5 square."

References Cited 'inthe-file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date.

65552641" Nichol Aug; '7, 1900 927,583 Nelson July 13, 1909-: 1,371,476. Foss Mar. 15, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 369,283. Germany Feb. 17, 1923" 328,749. Great Britain Jan. 22, 1930 g color, .a' switchboard for the are having 'a'normally'open switch and a two h normally open switch .being' 

